1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to apparatus for maintaining cold containerized liquids in a cool state and, more particularly, to a two-part telescopic lightweight portable bottle cooler apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
A number of structures for insulating containers have been proposed in the prior art. Perhaps the most familiar structure is the cylindrical foam jacket or sleeve conventionally used to cool standard cylindrical cans containing beer, soda, and the like. Such devices are typically inadequate or only partially effective. Various such insulating structures exhibit practical drawbacks in that they often leave the bottle contents partially exposed to the air and/or employ cumbersome attachments mechanisms such as mechanical clasps or snaps.
Applicant""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,804 discloses a bottle insulating device having a lower cylindrical enclosure which telescopically receives an upper enclosure having a dome-shaped upper end and an opening therein of a diameter selected to determine the extent to which the upper enclosure slides down the bottle neck and hence the extent to which the upper enclosure extends into the lower enclosure. While this structure exhibits several advantages over prior art cooler apparatus, it has appeared to Applicant that further improvements could provide even more useful and effective cooler apparatus.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved insulating apparatus;
It is another object of the invention to provide such an insulating apparatus particularly adapted for convenient use with bottles such as beer bottles, wine bottles, and the like;
It is another object of the invention to provide such an apparatus that is readily manufactured and easily used;
It is another object of the invention to provide an airtight seal between top and bottom portions of an insulating structure, as well as between the top portion and the bottle;
It is another object of the invention to provide a bottle insulating structure which is particularly pleasing in appearance and may be used as an advertising or promotional tool; and
It is another object of the invention to provide a bullet-nosed bottle cooler apparatus having a quick plunge insertion feature.
The invention contemplates a lower cylindrical enclosure and an upper enclosure which telescopically fits into the lower enclosure. The lower enclosure is closed at one end and open at the other end for receiving the lower end of a bottle and includes a relatively steeply arched first thread on the inside which preferably begins at the open end and spirals down to the bottom of the lower enclosure. The upper enclosure has a domed upper end which unitarily forms into a cylindrical lower section. This lower cylindrical section telescopically fits into the opening in the lower cylindrical enclosure and has a second thread matching the first thread of the lower enclosure beginning at the lower end thereof and spiralling part way up the side of the upper enclosure. An opening is formed in the upper domed portion and is sized to pass over the capped end of a bottle neck and slide down the neck until the neck of the bottle reaches a diameter which stops further progress or the upper domed portion comes to rest on the shoulder of the bottle.
The structure according to the invention thus provides a xe2x80x9cquick plungexe2x80x9d insertion feature which retains the advantages of direct telescopic insertion to accommodate various height bottles while providing a positive retaining action between the upper and lower enclosures. The xe2x80x9cquick plungexe2x80x9d feature preferably provides complete insertion with a minimum of turning of the upper enclosure.